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  • Revival

  • By: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: David Morse
  • Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,306 ratings)
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Revival cover art

Revival

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: David Morse
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Summary

A spectacularly dark and electrifying novel about addiction, religion, music, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, in the early '60s, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs Jacobs; the women and girls - including Jamie's mother and beloved sister - feel the same about Reverend Jacobs. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity.

Then tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, the preacher curses God, mocking all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. In his mid-30s, he is living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate, he sees Jacobs again - a showman on stage, creating dazzling 'portraits in lightning' - and their meeting has profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. Because for every cure there is a price....

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe.

©2014 Stephen King (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"The most remarkable storyteller in modern American literature." (Mark Lawson, Guardian)
"America's greatest living novelist." (Lee Child)
"King's gift of storytelling is unrivalled. His ferocious imagination is unlimited." (George Pelecanos)
"King is a very remarkable and singular writer. He can catch dialogue, throw away an observation or mint a simile, sometimes, brilliantly . . . Storytelling is everything - and by golly does he know how to carry the reader." ( Observer)

What listeners say about Revival

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Creepy and compelling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Great story, slow build up of characters and events.

What did you like best about this story?

The build of tension is insidious. It's there throughout, the feeling of who is this person, what will they do, what's going to happen. This is King back at his best.

What does David Morse bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Laid back and laconic narration underpins the building horror...

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It had me wondering from the end of Chapter one. Chapters 2 and 3 had moments do stomach churning horror in the way events were depicted and left my heart literally pounding. That was for starters!

Any additional comments?

I loved Stephen King's early works. Master of the art of modern horror. He nailed how to take the ordinary into the realms of both macabre and fantasy. After a few, for me, non starters, this is back in the top league. Small town New England, past and present, attitudes, constraints and affectations are stripped in a tale with some stomach churning and heart racing moments. The Audible version has kept me awake over a few nights! I was gripped and couldn't sleep because I wanted to know what happened next. Brilliant storytelling.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Kept me hooked

Well recommended, perhaps not the usual horror we are used to but it's an undertone, I couldn't stop listening. Would recommend to all Stephen king fans and everyone else too!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant!!

Absolutely brilliant, one of Stephen kings best!! I have been and will always be a die hard fan of Stephen King's writing! Continue the excellent work

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Something happened, something happened!

When he is good he is one of the best no doubt about it and this book is one of his best. He manages to channel Lovecraft and recreate that feeling of americana and nostalgia to near perfection.This is perhaps one of his darkest books; the themes are full of existential angst and god is absent or a very nasty deity, the golden americana tablou deteriorates into the hard nose reality of a violent america. But the family and the characters are so real and lovely you want to spend time with them knowing full well that no salvation is possible with this king.
The reading of this book was superb if not exceptional.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Wonderful story very well read, easy to get lost in ... Worth the purchase
On my second listen

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great narrator, fantastic story.

Yet again Stephen King nails it! An epic story of a young boy and young pastor crossing paths which will forever change both. It spans decades and keeps you engaged throughout. Narrator is brilliant. Recommended.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

An electric version of John Coffey!

Where does Revival rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Respectably

What was one of the most memorable moments of Revival?

I'll never be sure why audible uses this question, is it aimed to reveal spoilers? I shall not succumb!

Any additional comments?

I always retreat to King when I'm in the need of some escapism, albeit a slightly darker and often insidious escape, rather than the usual laid back and fairytale version genre that is usually thought of as escapism.

I was not disappointed. I haven't read many King books, but I can honestly say that this book, along with 11.12.64 encourages me to start reading more fro him. This audiobook kept me interested and the storyline was clever with some inventive and creative ideas, read wonderfully by the narrator.

I loved this book and without spoiling the plot I urge to give it a try yourself. Bravo King!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good in Every way.

Has to be up there with my all time Favourite Audio books I have listened to. Everything about it was good, Narration, plot, characters and in my opinion the best ending Stephen King has ever written to a story - (and the best potential start for a follow up?) I finished the book about a week ago and I am still finding myself thinking about it. I really hope there is a chance of a follow up to this or at least a revisit to the same story universe that has been created here, though after the Gunslinger series I think all Stephen King Books are maybe set in the same universe. Could easily see a follow up set in the future as opposed to the past, then after that a prequel, would be an amazing opportunity to create such a good trilogy.. Please Mr King?.. A Gunslinger would fit in there somewhere amazingly well too. The story does not require this to be completely satisfying on completion, I am just wishing for more. Get it and enjoy is my advice.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Terrible narration

The narration is awful on this book. I have just bought the kindle version and will continue reading it rather than listen to the painfully slow and incredibly boring, momotone narration. It put me to sleep everytime I tried listening!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
  • KE
  • 11-03-16

Could have been so much better

This novel had huge potential but did not deliver. Too long, needed editing but as usual famous writers seem to be free from this. Lazy writing, just seemed to have slipped out in a stream of consciousness way. Failed to explore death. Pity could have been so good but I guess if you earn so much just to publish something that is guaranteed to sell you get sloppy and lose the will to deliver.

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4 people found this helpful